stainless steel frame bolt kit????
 

hey all :) ,
i finaly found a link for a stainless steel body bolt kit "http://www.docsbolts.com/" but is there someone who makes a frame kit as well? i would like to get the bolts for the front crossmember as well as the trailing arms and well, everything inbetween. if you have heard of such a thing please let me know. thanks,
ondrew

Well, I dont think stainless bolts are strong enough. Frame bolts need to be grade 8.

from what i have been told they make grade 8 stainless.

what grade are regular stainless bolts?

I just purchased my stainless frame kit from Totally Stainless. www.totallystainless.com

Perry

I am a dealer as well. I will look at the catalog tomorrow and let you know whats available. I do have the chassis kit in stock.

Perry
PTS

I went through Doc's (Totally Stainless) 2 weeks ago and made a order. I was going to post part numbers when I posted some pictures but haven't gotten to it yet. The trailing arm bolts are part # HF82-3555 (3/4-10x4 1/2). Nylon locking nuts are part # NYL2-4097 and AN washer is WAS2-4235. If you call them and tell them what they are for they know what size you need. If you removed the cab/bed brackets from the frame you can go with 7/16-14x1 1/2 bolts. I went with ARP's here but they are a little pricey. You can go with regular style head bolts. This length will be long enough for two washers and a nylon locking nut. Large diameter 7/16" washer is part # WAS2-4231 and small diameter is WAS2-4208. You will have to open the holes slightly to 7/16" though. For the lower spring retainers I removed the nut that is tack welded to the retainer and then used 1/2-13x4 1/2" bolts with locking nuts. I don't have the upper retainers with the HTH kit and I don't know about the stock front crossmember mount bolts as I have a Fatman kit there.
Neonlarry-I was concerned about strength using SS but I was still thinking like back in the day when the SS stuff was just for show and NO go but a lot of manufacturers are producing SS stuff in the equivalent grade 5 and 8 ratings, ie ARP.

Good Thread :cool:

Regular stainless steel bolts are just a little stronger than grade 2 bolts. ARP makes grade 8 stainless but as has been mentioned, they are pricey. I would not use regular stainless as Neonlarry pointed out because of the lower strength.

I would make sure of the stainless grade and tensile strength if it is used in a structural application such as the frame. (Gauling can be a problem with stainless, also). A lot of fasteners are being made off shore so this is another reason to be cautious and verify what you are getting.

Jim

ttt

Stainless bolts.
 

Anytime I use stainless bolts I use grease on the threads before putting
them in. I use a product named white grease. I suppose any type of grease
would do.

I wouldn't use grade 8 on suspention...it is weaker when it comes to side loads, and will shear or shatter quite easily. Grade 5 is prefered.
Grade 8 does have better clamping ability, but there isn't anything on the frame that really needs that much clamping power in a regular driver truck.

I have had good luck buying new bolts made of titanium on ebay. I have bought them in lots from surplus sellers as well as people that only sell fasteners on ebay. They have a nice natural finish and from what I hear, they are stronger than grade 8. They are measured a little differently than regular bolts. Check out a few websites and see how these bolts are measured before you purchase.

Stainless are measured a little different also. Call and talk to Doc and he'll explain it all. They wouldn't sell them if there could possibly be a liability issue.

I see this question asked all the time. I am with Longhorn on this. From the information I have seen on fasteners a grade 5 fastener has a greater shear strength than a grade 8. Because of the side loads by crossmembers and suspension mounts on the frame grade 5 would be the choice. I would think that stainless fasteners would be probably to brittle and would be prone to breakage and as was said before can cause gaulling in the mounting holes. Does not really matter for a show vehicle and a large number of people will just use grade 8 just because they think it is a stronger bolt. Good luck with your project :D

I have heard the same thing about grade 5/8 for many years but have yet to read anything proven this true which is a totally other subject. Bolts are rated by the yield strength and tensile strength. Shear falls into the tensile category. Can someone support their statements about 1) stainless being unable to carry equivalent grade 5 loads and 2) just for giggles that grade 5 are better for shear forces and 8 for clamping? Like I said above, in the earlier days of stainless fastener use they were equivalent to about a grade 2 and I agree were for show only. I specifically spoke to Doc at Doc's Hotrods about this grade 5/8 issue. I bought stainless trailing arm bolts among other things. Look at my sig, this will not be a show car...I mean truck.

Edit for: we can go to email/PM to discuss this.

although pricey, shouldnt titanium bolts be best, titanium is one of the strongest compounds on earth right?

titanium is stronger than steel in many respects, and lighter also.
but even more so than stainless, titanium galls, and badly.
titanium doesn't play nice at all when it rubs against any other metal.
my 2 cents.............

Negative ... it is NOT one of the strongest compounds on earth ... although it is one of the LIGHTEST. Thus the reason for Titanium and Aluminum used in motorsports and aerospace applications .... weight concerns, not necessarily strength.

The reason you can't find that info is that the shear strength of a bolt is dependent on the joint it is used in, so the industry doesn't publish the data, as a general rule. A simple shear (two equal thickness plates) versus complex (multiple plates of different thickness) have completely different values. You don't run into that problem with tensile strength.

What I try to go by is the grade of the fastener being replaced. If you follow this advice (which is what the SAE tells the technicians) you can't go wrong. If a bolt has failed, you need to determine why rather than replacing with a stronger bolt. It is also the most economical method of replacement.

Also, when replacing a steel rivet with a bolt, I drill to the next larger bolt diameter and use a grade 5. The strength of a rivet is in shear, and will always be weaker than a grade 5 bolt, possibly more than a grade 2, depending on the application.

I am not a huge fan of stainless steel fasteners. Two major issues, thread galling (where the threads meld together) and galvanic corrosion with non-ferrous metals. I've had to resolve too many corrosion issues in airframes, and am skeptical on the use of stainless. My best advice is if using stainless steel bolts is to use alloy steel nuts. That stops the galling issue. And avoid the use of stainless in aluminum. If you do use stainless bolts and nuts or stainless bolts in aluminum, always use either a thread-locker compound or anti-sieze.

Also, when buying stainless steel fasteners, buy only from a known, reputable source, preferably U.S. made. Otherwise, you are dealing with material of unknown heat treat. I used some stainless steel exhaust studs that came with an engine dress-up kit once. Had major problems with them. Went to a metallurgist, here at work, and he determined that the material had not been heat-treated, it was still in the 0 condition.

Fred T, which manufacturer do you work for? Boeing, Cessna, Raytheon (<--me), or Lear?

ttt

i'm still looking for more info but the totaly stainless catalog rocks! are there any other manufactures that make s.s. frame bolt kits?

I'm not sure but I do know that a lot of others vendors their stuff from them. They also have bolts that they are the only supplier of. Namely the ones you'll need for the rear coil spring retainers.

Titanuim fasteners are lighter than steel for the same size, they are stronger for the same weight as steel but not as strong as a grade 5 bolt for the same size.

Also it is an old wives tale that grade 5 bolts are better in shear than a grade 8 bolt.

This infomation is right out of my engineer hand book on materials. I will look for a link on this, I read somthing on this in a four wheeler magazine.

Read this about grade 5 vs grade 8 bolts

http://www.rockcrawler.com/techrepor...ners/index.asp